Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Do people still call these things trivets? Hot plates? Hot pads? I came across a designer who makes these brilliant thingies labeled as "Cork Ladders" and I've got to say that's the best name yet.

Hetta, a Swedish company, takes lengths of cork and strings them together alternately with beads to create these long, beautiful, functional treats for the table and the minute I saw them I said "Wow!" Followed by "I can do that!"

So instead of doing the easy thing and just buying one for myself I spent much more time than sanity permits to track down the supplies and put my own cork ladder together.

First off, I could not find cork strips. Cork sheets, cork tiles, corks for bottles but no lengths of cork either in the stores here in Anchorage or on the internet which meant that I was forced to go to Plan B.

I instead bought 1-inch by 1-inch balsa wood strips--much more readily available--at the craft store and cut them into eight-inch lengths. I figured that though regular craft wood was less expensive the balsa wood would be less abrasive on your table surface.

Then I drilled a hole through the middle of each piece of balsa and strung it along some jewelry wire with some pretty wooden beads and tied it off at each end. Perfect for potlucks or the family dining table.

If you don't have a power drill the balsa is soft enough you tap a hole through with an awl or even a hammer and nail. I'm hoping that the wood holds up well under the heat of the pans and the stress of use, I've only been using it a short time so I'll have to let you know about that later when the evidence is in.

Though it sure looks pretty.

I'll stick one in my Etsy shop if the whole hunting-down-supplies-to-make-it-yourself thing just isn't on the menu for this week. I understand, it wouldn't be on my menu this week either.

***

Congratulations to Ren of Orlando, Florida and another nameless entrant who has not yet responded to claim his/her prize (check the emails--was it you?) for winning the two t-shirts from PeaceLoveMom.com in the last giveaway. I'm wearing my shirt right now--and if I don't get a response today I'll draw another name--so cross those fingers again!

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comments:

Oh that would be ever so much nicer than the folded dish towel techinique I now use :) I once saw a "trivit" using recycled wine corks glued inside a frame...I saved lots of corks but never got around to making the trivit....now where did I put those corks????

Can you use those little cork board tiles you get to tack up notes in offices or dorm rooms? You know, the unframed "cork tiles" over in the office section, I think they come in packs of 4? Or are those too thin, or wrong type of cork?

The cork tiles seemed to be pretty thin--which might not keep the heat from the table as well and also might not hold up under use as well. I've seen creative things done with corks--as in bottle corks--someone should go design something with those.

THat's a VERY cool project. The Mountain man did One Mom's idea about just gluing a bunch of corks together for a hot pad. It wasn't inside a frame - it's just a random shape. But it's pretty cool and it works well.

This sure looks way prettier than the functional round steel contraptions we use over here for hot pots and other stuff.But are they easy to clean, like you know between the steps of the ladders in case of spills?

This sure looks way prettier than the functional round steel contraptions we use over here for hot pots and other stuff.But are they easy to clean, like you know between the steps of the ladders in case of spills?